Once in a Lifetime - My BWCA Moose Hunt

[gurkster]

Awesome!! Congrats!! and THANK YOU for sharing!!!

[bigbucks]

Great story! I'm definitely in the 99%. I don't want a moose bad enough to go through all that. Nothing against hunting them, but they aren't very high on my list.

[Monkster]

Awesome read! Again, I love the stories that make me feel I am there! I have been to the BW many times, on many portages, but I cannot imagine doing this! I may also be one of the 99percenters, but I will apply eventually with my boys...just a little south of your location! Great job!

[reinhard1]

i talked with my soninlaw last night about this and he seen this story also, and we have decided to take a shot at it. i dont take this lightly, for it's not for everyone. however it's a once in a lifetime thing that i want to experience. my brother will get involved also and he will be able to do more of the scouting than i can. we have an area in mind that we know well, but that's one of many hurdles to surpass. two younger guys and a couple of slightly older guys. first hurdle is to be fortunate to get a chance at it. good luck.

[BoxMN]

As others said Farmboy, GREAT story, it had me feeling like I was watching you guys! And congrats on the success, not just of the kill but of the entire process, from the organizing to the work to the hunt to the pain afterward

I think you would find that a magazine might like to publish your story. It really is that good. It is about the experience, and the hunt is just part of it.

Thanks for sharing!

[Farmboy1]

Thanks for all the kind words. It was honestly one of the hardest, but most rewarding things I have done. My wife told me it must be like childbirth, but I thought it was much better than that

Reinhard; If you are serious, go for it. I think we all need a good challenge to show us what we are really made of. I would love to see you kick those young kids butts.

I did a bunch of research before we applied. The zone we went in (36) is the only zone that is not accessible by road, but it also kicked the application success rate up to about 12% from around 8% in the other zones. We had also looked at the historic harvest spots from the DNR HSOforum. This helped us to narrow down where we wanted to start. We intentionally picked an access point that we did not think anyone else would.

We also hunted a zone we had been to before, and we also had a 5 day scouting trip earlier in the year. This was critical to our success.

Again, Thanks for the kind words. We have been home for a week and a half, and it still has not sunk in fully.

[NELS-BELLS]

Awesome story! Very well written and great photos. I've also been to BWCA many times and I couldn't imagine trying to paddle/portage all that moose meat and cape out of there. Thanks for sharing the story with us.

Nels

[TooTallTom]

Farmboy1, I'm glad your hunt was a success! Thanks for putting the photos up, and telling us the story. I assume your wife is as excited as you are to have Big Ed on the wall right inside the door to greet visitors?

[reinhard1]

i spent most of my life in the arrowhead region[more fishing than hunting] and had some awesome times. my brother and i were going to try for this a few times and never pulled the trigger. with me it was getting the time off of work [vacation due to senority and more] so it never came through. i wanted to make sure if i had that chance that nothing was going to stop me.

now that i'm retired [so is my brother who lives in Duluth], i can see it, feel it, and if i get picked to have that chance nothing will stop me [except a family emergency]. it helps for us to be familiar with an area, but as you say the actualy scouting and preperation for this trip with all that is involved is a task that i am ready for.

honestly, if i got the shot it would be a moment i could not describe. however if one of the young guns or my brother got that moment, i would be just as thrilled. it's all about the hunt, companionship, and determination, and enjoying God's awesome wilderness he has provided for us. i will be asking for advice for sure. i have read your story maby 6 times already. you put it together well. good luck.

[Sifty]

Great story and very well told.

Sifty

[NoWiser]

Reinhard, you and your brother have got to apply! It is such a great hunt. Check out my thread "drew a moose license" for another story. You could easily do it. I went with another guy my age (late 20's) and my dad who is in his mid 50's and we loved every minute of it. We were also in a zone with zero road access and had to paddle 22 miles and portage 11 miles to get out with our moose. It was tough, but all dad can talk about is applying now, and going even deeper in than we did. It is such a great experience, you need to apply!!!

[Andrew Erickson]

unbelieveable! congrats on a true trophy and what an awesome story!

[Harv]

Great story!

[Scott M]

Great read farmboy, thanks for the relink, I missed it this fall. One question, how many years did you put in with this group? I've been putting in for 6 years, no luck yet. I'm afraid at this rate it's not happening for me in Minnesota and I'll have to go west or into Canada.

[Scoot]

I couldn't sleep and somehow managed to stumble upon on this- what a great surprise! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful experience with us!! Great job with the pics and the pros- very well done!

[Surface Tension]

Where has this thread been hiding.

Great story!

[killerelement]

great story, best read in a long time!

thanks!!!!!

[Farmboy1]

Great read farmboy, thanks for the relink, I missed it this fall. One question, how many years did you put in with this group? I've been putting in for 6 years, no luck yet. I'm afraid at this rate it's not happening for me in Minnesota and I'll have to go west or into Canada.

da chise,

You probably don't want to hear this, but this was the first time with this group in this area. I had applied in the past, but not in this zone. I did a bunch of research and this zone has the highest applicant success, but also has the worst access. We had about 6 miles of travel in the BWCA before we were at a location we could legally hunt. Difficult hunt, but well worth it.